Social Justice News

“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”

So reads the second sentence of the American Declaration of Independence. Two lines which are often lauded as one of the best known passages of prose in the English language and which still resonate down the years as a statement of philosophical intent which has formed the blueprint for the development of a just society in nations across the world.

How ironic it is then that in the very name of this declaration by the government of this free country the civil liberties of the majority are being eroded and destroyed to accommodate the needs of the few.

More violations of our civil rights, more unjust wars in countries across the globe and in the Middle East and the militarization of the Police in readiness to deal with the growing dissatisfaction we the people have for the governments sending off our tax dollars to uphold a rich and powerful (with nuclear capabilities) illegal state based on occupation and oppression in Palestine.

This has never been more evident and more obvious than it is today. Until recently we gathered our news and information on the political state of our environment from the mainstream media and what we read there was the acknowledged if not wholly accepted account of our worldview. With the growth of the Internet and especially social media we have seen the spread of a more realistic and clearer picture of the state of the world and the politics that shape it.

Where the mainstream media has the restriction of being owned by the powerful few who would keep us in the dark the new media on the internet is held in check by the impossibility of language, the fact that if the words are too direct and the provenance is not verifiable the legal arm of the wealthy media outlets swing into play to put pressure on or shut down the small and the new press. They are forced to use words like ‘reportedly’ and ‘allegedly’ to denote facts seen clearly in photographs or on film for fear of the powerhouse of Lawyers destined to kick off if they don’t, we have to support the truth by posting what we know and sharing the small press outlets when we see them so they get the recognition they deserve for coming up against the giants.

This leaves us still awakening all the time to the horrors of this new world order. I for one have been involved nearly all my life in political awareness and yet I am shocked daily about the things I did not know and worse the things that are disappearing from public record to protect the guilty Israelis and Americans from their victims. Pandora’s box was opened when we were witness to the disgusting terror rained down on the people of Palestine just last summer and everyday ever since, with Facebook and it’s ilk there was the opportunity to share the truth. Indeed the social media outlet allowed us to share the truth, the overwhelming plethora of undeniable film and photographic evidence of political wrongdoing by amongst others the USA, UK and Israeli governments. But this was a door that could only remain open for a very short time and is already beginning to shut tight.

We each have a moral obligation to take a stand against the injustices of the world and choosing not to act is a choice nevertheless.

Whether you join a debate, share stories with your friends, sign a petition or participate in a demonstration, the world becomes a better place by many people taking small steps to do good.